Railroad-switch.



w. WHABTON, mQ

RAILRUAD SWITCH.

(No Model.)

(Application filed Due. 27. 1900.)

Patented Apr. 2, I901.

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

N0. 67|,254. Patented Apr. 2, |9,0I'. w. ,WHARTON, .In. RAILROAD SWITCH Application fllcd Dec. 27, 1900.: (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 SQ M m: NORRIS PETERS w. moT o-umn, wasumm'on. my C,

N0. 6 7|,254. Patented Apr. 2, I90l.

W. WHARTUN, .IR.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

( No Movde.) (Application filed Due. 27. 1900) 3 sheetsshe 3- THE "cams PETERS co. PHDYO-UTNO" wlsmuumu, n, c.

WILLIAM Wl-IARTON, JR., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM WIIARTON, JR., & COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,254, dated. April 2, 1901. Application filed December 27, 1900- Serial No. 41,298. (No model.)

To all. whom, it may concern: whatronnded oif vertically, so as to be slightly o Beit known thatLVVILLIAM WHARTON,JP., below the level of the main rails. a citizen of the United States, residing in Phil- The upper surface of the pointed switchadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented oerrail D from its end d to the line 6 6, Fig. l, is

5 tain Improvements in Railroad-Switches, of level, or practically so, with the upper surwhich the following is a specification. face of the main rail A; but from the line 6 6 ;5

My invention relates to certain improve to the line 7 7 it is upwardly inclined, so as ments in the switches with unbroken mainto carry the wheels on that side of the car up track rails shown and described in the patto the elevated portion of the rail, and for a cuts granted to me October 8,1867, No. 69,599, part of its length the rail D has its head overand February 8, 1887, No. 357,438, in which lapping the main rail A, as clearly shown in is shown and described a guard-rail attached Fig. land in the cross-section, Fig. 7. This to and movable with the pointed switch-rail, overlapping of the main rail by the pointed also an outside elevating-rail movable thererail has for many years been common in I5 with. a switch structures of this type. Adjacent to The object of my invention is to more the pointed railDis the guard-rail E, and besmoothly and certainly transfer a car from tween this guard-rail and the pointed rail are the main track to the siding, and vice versa. spacing-blocks c c, the two rails D and E be- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is ing secured together by bolts or other suitable 2o adiagram plan illustrating my improved railfastening's.

road-switch, showing the switch thrown over The upper surface of the guard-rail is prefin contact with the rails of the main track. erably made to conform with the varying Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, excepting heights of the upper surface of the pointed that, the switch-rails are moved away from rail D.

25 the main-line rails, leaving the main track The upper surface of the outside elevatingclear. Fig. 3 is a side view of the pointed rail D from its end d to the line 6 6 is level, rail. Fig. 4 is a side view of the outside eleor practically so, with the upper surface of vating-rail. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the the main rail A; but from the line 6 (5 to the line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 7 7 it is upwardly inclined, so as to carry 30 the line 6 6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a sectional view the wheels on that side of the car up to the i on the line 7 7, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevated portion of the rail. view of part of Fig. 3, and Fig. 9 is an enlarged The gage of a track is always slightly wider view of part of Fig. A. than the gage of the car-wheels, so that they A A are the permanent rails of the main may run freely along the track without any 35 track. binding or undue friction, and in switches of B B are the rails of the siding or turnout. this type it is extremely desirable to have as D D are the switch-rails. much as possible of the tread portion of the E is a guard-rail attached to and movable car-wheels to project beyond the outside ofthe a with the pointed switch-rail D. main rail A, so that they will have a good 0 The tie-rods ff connect the rails of the and substantial bearing upon the outside eleswitch together. vating-rail D as soon as it begins to raise the The upper surface of the pointed rail D at car-wheels. its outer end 01 is level with. the upper sur- The wheels of a car passing from the rail A face of the main rail A, and the upper surof the main track to the siding will be gradu- 45 face of the outside elevating-rail D is likeallyguided laterally bythe finely-pointed rail wise at its outer end d level with the upper D from its end (1 to the line 6 6, thus causing surface of the main rail A, as shown in the the flanges of the wheels on the opposite side sectional view, Fig. 5. If desired, the eX- of the car to press closely against the inside treme outer end of these rails may be someof the main rail A, so that as much as possible of their tread-surface will project or ex- .tend beyond the outside of that rail and be available for bearing upon the outside elevating-rail D before any actual elevation of the wheels takes place.

Both the pointed rail D and the outside elevating-rail D being at their free or outer end level with the main-track rails A and A and continuing for some distance level with them-that is to say, from the line 5 5 to the line 6 6, at which latter place they both commence to incline upwardit is evident that the passage of car-wheels from the main track to the siding and from the siding to the main track will be accomplished more smoothly and satisfactorily than if the switch-rails terminated at the line 6 6. By means of this level prolongation of the switch-rails D and D the wheels on both sides, respectively, of the car will bear vertically upon the switch-rail and also upon the main rail from the line 5 5 to the line 6 6. This takes place whether the car is entering or leaving the switch, and the transition of the vertical bearing of the carwheels from the switch-rails to the maintrack rails, and vice versa, is thereby made in a most excellent manner. This vertical bearing of the car-wheels on both sets of rails at the line 5 5 and at the line 6 6 and between these lines is shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Instead of making a vertical angle in the switch-rails at the line 6 6, where they begin to incline upward, it is preferable to use there an easy vertical curve, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, so that when the car-wheels enter upon or leave the inclined portion of the switchrails the change in their movement will be very gradually made.

I claim as my in vention- 1. The combination in a railroad-switch, of the unbroken main-track rails, the rails of the siding or turnout and a movable switch structure consisting of an outside inclined elevating-rail and an inclined pointed rail with a guard-rail attached to it and movable with it, the upper surface of the pointed rail, for a portion of its length adjoining its free end, being level with the upper surface of the maintrack rails, and the free end of the pointed rail extending beyond the inclined portion of the outside elevating-rail, whereby the said pointed rail will direct the wheels of a car laterally so that the wheels on the side opposite the pointed rail will be forced to more fully overlap the outside elevating-rail, before any actual elevation of the said wheels takes place, substantially asidescribed.

2. The combination-in a railroad-switch, of the unbroken main-track rails, the rails of the siding or turnout and a movable switch structure consisting of an outside inclined elevating-rail and an inclined pointed rail with a guard-rail attached to it and movable with it, the upper surface of each of the two switchrails, for a portion of its length adjoining its free end, being level with the upper surface of the main-track rails, and the free end of the pointed rail extending beyond the inclined portion of the outside elevating-rail, whereby the said pointed rail will direct the wheels of a car laterally so that the wheels on the side opposite the pointed rail will be forced to more fully overlap the outside elevating-rail, before any actual elevation of the said wheels takes place, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM WHARTON, JR.

Witnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, J 0s. H. KLEIN. 

